Lorin Atkins, CAM

Assistant Property Manager, Kettler Management

Late into my sophomore year in college, I met with different professors and advisors who were instrumental in developing an interest in multifamily housing for me. After many conversations with family, friends and advisors I decided to enroll in the Residential Property Management program at Virginia Tech University. I always knew I wanted to do something in real estate, but needed direction in pinpointing my exact career path. One of the great opportunities the property management curriculum provided was the hands-on experience. By the time I graduated, I had completed two summer internships, attended an IREM National Conference, wrote a management plan and been exposed to many facets of apartment management, commercial management and development. This sort of hands-on experience and the book knowledge the curriculum provided solidified my interest in property management, as well helped launch my career.

I graduated from Virginia Tech in December of 2006 and accepted a position in January 2007 with Kettler Management, a privately held company with properties throughout Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. After working as the Assistant Property Manager of a 244 unit property, I accepted a lateral position as the Assistant Property Manager of one of our brand new class A, high rise, lease-up buildings in Reston, Va. Working in residential property management has by far exceeded all of my expectations. Just between the two properties I have worked at, I have never experienced more fun, stress, and self satisfaction… all in one day!

After a short year-and-a-half in this business, I must say that I really love the people I work with and the people I work to help. There is truly never a dull moment or a boring day, and I have learned to appreciate everything that each individual contributes to the growth of this industry.

The constant growth in communities and job opportunities keep the apartment industry very exciting and upbeat. Kettler Management alone currently has four properties in lease up within the Northern Virginia area and several more units to come. These are the type of happenings that indicate growth and security within an industry and suggest opportunity for advancement, which is attractive to any ambitious spirit.

I would tell anyone and everyone in the industry to stay relevant. Tomorrow’s trends seem to become yesterday’s fads very quickly in this business as there is always a “new” product in your market. For those interested in property management as a career, I would ask you to start with a self evaluation because there are many different realms of property management; and each realm requires a certain personality and work ethic. But if you enjoy interacting with people on daily basis, and never want two days to be alike… then this might be the career for you!